Started out as a favor to a neighbor, and now, she’s, earning the extra income, and it gives her something to do with her spare time, helping a neighbor out, too many benefits to count up here! Translated…
Seeing how my neighbors, the Chen got into it of late over the care of the aging Mrs. Chen, I was reminded of the year that my own mother had a stroke, how I’d, shouldered her care for twenty whole years, how hard I’d been, tried. My mother’s systems, deteriorated with the passing of the years, and I was, completely, strained too hard already, to the point that my marriage was in crisis too, thankfully, my younger sister offered that hand, to help me out. So, I totally, empathized with my neighbor’s troubles.
Mrs. Chen who’d lost her husband at the beginning of the year, she’d suddenly, fell, and her families took her to the doctors, and it all, checked out, it wasn’t physical, the families were told, that it was the depression from her losing her husband that’s caused it. Every day before her daughter-in-law was off to work, she’d put the lunch she’d prepared into the rice cooker, and the suppers, after her daughter-in-law comes home, then prepare, there was nothing wrong with this kind of an arrangement, but, Mrs. Chen felt that the foods weren’t hot enough, and had always used the gas stoves to heat up the foods.
That day, the soup was heating on the stove, she’d fallen asleep, almost caused a fire. The cookware got burned, that’s no big deal, but she’d, burned herself too. As she’d called out to me over the fences, she’d looked, horrifying. So I’d, made the simple rice balls for her to consume, then, helped her clean up the burns in the kitchen.
And that evening, her son came home, used the beliefs of how it would be safer for her, disregarded Mr. Chen’s objections, shipped her into the nursing home, the two fought really hard. Thankful her daughter-in-law was a good mediator, thought of asking me to deliver her meals for a few days, to wait until Mrs. Chen’s injuries were completely healed up, then they would, discuss it/
The following day, I’d gone to her home, to deliver the meal to her, she was, more animated, more talkative than usual, I imagine that she’d been left alone on her own, with nobody to listen to her, she’d, smiled more than usual.
For the days that followed, sometimes, I’d, eaten with her at her house; sometimes, she wanted to cook the foods herself, I became, her assistant chef, and commended her on her excellent cooking skills, it’d made her really happy. And for the time being, I’d, become confused, if she’s the one needed the companionship, or, was I? During this time, after her son calmed down, and thought it through thoroughly, he’d not felt right, sending his own mother into a nursing home, and saw how spirited his mother became during the daytime with my companionship, the couple came, and discuss with me on continuing my meal delivery to his mother.
It was no big deal to me, and it was enough, to not get Mrs. Chen into a nursing home, the younger generations felt safe and secure to work, being in my empty nest, I’d found my extra income, and got some focus back into my own life, four birds, with just, one, stone! I love this new job I got, by, “accident”!
And so, because the elderly woman needed someone to look after her, to check in on her, and her son and daughter-in-law can’t watch her around the clock, the neighbor was called in to assist, and that just showed, how important, it is, to have people you can have as support, when you need them to be, which is why you need to, establish that good connection with your neighbors on a regular basis, because you never know, when they will be that needed helping hand for you, and this way, the elderly woman didn’t have to get moved out of the familiar environment she’s living in, her own, home.
You must be logged in to post a comment.